Tuesday Tip - Get Your Vitamin D

This last week I went in for a routine checkup and found out that I was Vitamin D deficient.  In fact, according to my provider, Vitamin D deficiency is quite common.

Who knew?

I sure didn't!  In fact, I knew very little about Vitamin D at all, so I decided to go look up a few things.

First off, what is Vitamin D good for anyway?
 

Benefits of Vitamin D (CDC):

• Promotes calcium absorption
• Needed for growth and remodeling
• Assists in neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation

That sounds like important stuff, right?  I wondered if I could find a way to just add it to my diet more rather than supplementing it.  So I looked up what foods had Vitamin D. 


Foods high in Vitamin D: (The Daily Green)

• Wild Salmon
• Tuna
• Sole or Flounder
• Fortified Milk
• Fortified Cereal
• Pork
• Eggs
• Mushrooms

Bwahahaha!  Well, gee, now it's no real surprise to me that I'm deficient. I hate seafood and mushrooms. That cancels out, like, half of those foods.

Luckily for me, there's another way to get more because the body is designed to produce Vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure.

Hey!  That's sounds pretty good.  I happen to live in a place that gets tons of sunlight.

Of course, it is still winter and I just don't spend as much time in the sun as I should, so for now I will be supplementing...and maybe drinking a little more milk.

P.S. I wouldn't have known about this if I didn't go to regular checkups, so make sure you visit your doctor's office regularly.

For more information, check out the Vitamin D Council website. 

5 Ways to Loose Weight At Work

I recently spent just over two weeks working crazy long days.  

(I was gone from 7 am till 10 pm or later every. single. day.  Madness!!)

What was worse is that I was constantly surrounded by unhealthful foods that smelled really amazing and were very tempting.

Now, I may not work all of the time, but I did gain a few insights.  Here are 5 tips that helped me succeed at weight loss while working.

1. Be Prepared

"...to be prepared is half the victory." ~Miguel de Cervantes

The weekend before I started work, I developed a plan.  I went shopping for healthful foods and portioned them out in easy-to-grab containers.  That made it easier to pack and plan my lunches and dinners.  I also made these breakfast sandwiches so that in the morning I could have something quick and easy to eat.  I made a meal plan so that I knew what I could pack and how many calories it was.  And then, just in case, I packed a few extra goodies (granola bars, nuts, cheese sticks, etc) so that if I was feeling super hungry, I wouldn't be tempted to grab any of the junk options readily available.  It took just a little time on the weekend to keep me on track for two weeks.

2. Go The Extra Mile

I thought of how I could get in a little extra movement every day.  I parked further away.  I used my break times to take quick walks around the grounds.  I volunteered to deliver anything (by foot) that needed to go somewhere.  I made a conscious decision to stand and walk and move whenever I could. I went the extra mile...literally.

3.  Stay Hydrated

I carried two giant water bottles with me every day.  Having lots of ice cold water helped me avoid high-calorie convenience drinks, made me feel fuller, gave me energy, and helped to boost my metabolism. 

4. "I Don't Eat That"

One of the biggest obstacles at work is avoiding all of the goodies and treats that others bring to work. I found that if I told the others I was on a diet, that they would say, "Well, you don't have this every day.  You can break your diet for just one day."  I know that they meant well, but since goodies were brought almost every day, that logic was quite fallible.  Instead, I found it much easier to say a simple, "No, thank you."  If they really pushed it I would follow up with a simple, "Thanks, but I don't eat that."  For some reason, people did less "convincing" when I made this simple statement.

5. Say YES Every Now And Then

On occasion, we would have a potluck or a special occasion that I would join in on.  I wanted to have the fun that comes when you bond with others over meals.  I would simply plan ahead (if it was a pizza day, I would log my pizza calories first thing in the morning so that I knew exactly how much I would eat and what else to pack for the day) and then I was able to enjoy food with my coworkers without undoing a whole week's worth of work.

What have you found helpful when it comes to losing weight at work?

Tuesday Tip - Guest Post!

Today's post is brought to you from my Ms. Katie from the Spankstas.  We really appreciate her jumping in and helping out!  Take it away, Katie!  ~Sara

Hi Ladies!

My name is Katie. I am Sara’s sister-in-law.  Most of my time is spent teaching middle school, but now that it is summer, I’ve had a bit of free time on my hands.

Actually, I have spent most of the summer on the road.  My hubby and I took off on a week long road trip around Idaho. Then the next week, I did a mad dash road trip to Los Angeles with my mom.  Last week I drove to a teaching conference in Utah.

All of this time behind the wheel has made the weight loss challenge, well, really challenging. While I’ve only lost about three pounds so far this summer, I didn’t gain a single ounce on vacation. 




Here are five tips to healthy travels that I have discovered first hand this summer.

1. Pack healthy foods. I have to have snack food when I’m on a road trip. It helps me to stay awake and it makes traveling so much more fun.  But in order to stay within my calorie count, I filled a small cooler with baggies of grapes and Bing cherries. (Bing cherries are really helpful for drowsiness, because you have to focus on spitting out the seed.) I also sliced up a block of cheese so that I could make little whole grain cracker and cheese sandwiches. String cheese is handy and fun to eat too.  I kept all of these things within arm’s reach of the passenger’s seat so they were very accessible.  This also included water bottles, not sodas. Sure, that soda will keep you peppy but so will an icy slushy. Freeze the water bottles before you leave home, and then keep them in a cooler on the floor of the back seat. Feeling thirsty- drink healthy water. Feeling sleepy- put the icy water bottle on the back of your neck. Win-win situation.  If you’re really sleepy pull over and take a little hike. Stretch your legs and get some exercise. That’s way better than an energy drink or a soda pop.
2. Put unhealthy foods out of reach.  Nobody goes camping without s’more ingredients, right? Or what about chips, cookies, or yummy desserts? I would imagine that with kids in tow those foods would be a must have. Well, that’s fine. We are on vacation after all. But put them in the trunk of the car, or the bed of the pickup. Somewhere so inaccessible that you have to pull over, stop the car, and unpack it just to get to the goodies. This will prevent unnecessary snacking until it is actually time for dessert.
3. Don’t eat out every meal – particularly breakfast.  Staying in a hotel or motel while on the road? That’s great! Most of them come with miniature refrigerators.  So run to the store and pick up some yogurt cups and a small box of granola.  Maybe pack a few extra string cheese or some mini-bagels and fat free cream cheese. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start your day off right.  Continental breakfasts are okay, but be aware of your portion sizes. If you wouldn’t have a waffle with lots of syrup at home, you don’t have to have one at the hotel, either. 
   
   Maybe it’s not breakfast that’s the problem. You don’t have to buy lunches either.  Before you leave, make some sandwiches or pack some apples and peanut butter.  The picture below is on a typical lunch on the Idaho road trip.  We pulled over near a grassy park, grabbed some apples, some peanut butter, and some string cheese. It was a good chance to stretch our legs. The apples were nice and crisp, the peanut butter was filling, and the cheese was tasty.  If that’s not enough food for you and your brood, add a handful of those whole-grain crackers from Tip #1 or pack a loaf of whole grain bread to make sandwiches.
   
   

   

   You’ve probably noticed the Oreo package in the background. We limited ourselves to two cookies a piece (one serving) and then packed them back into the bed of the truck so we wouldn’t be tempted to eat more.

   
   

4. Eat local.  Okay, so we’re driving around the town of Wallace, Idaho trying to decide what to do for dinner. There are the usual fast food restaurants of course, but there were also some great little locally owned joints like the 1313 Club. Yes, Jake’s hamburger was huge and greasy. Yes, my philly cheese steak sandwich was oozing caloric goodness. But here’s the deal- eating local is good in multiple ways. First of all, that restaurant is more likely to have bought local, fresh ingredients which will always be better for you than whatever is shipped in from some unknown source. Second, the food is going to taste better because it is made fresh, not frozen. Unlike chain stores that have set recipes, locally owned restaurants have chefs who are thinking on their feet to produce delicious food specifically for you at that moment. If you’re going to be eating the calories anyway, you might as well enjoy them. Finally, it helps the local economy.  If you drive all the way across the country just to eat at a Burger King, you’re missing out on one of the best reasons to travel – to try the local cuisine.
5. Indulge a little. If you eat healthy snacks, and keep an eye on your portions, and take the time to do some hiking/sight-seeing you deserve an extra s’more around the campfire or that homemade apple pie at the diner.  Plus, you’re on vacation and what happens on vacation, stays on vacation. ☺

Tuesday Tip - Dressing on the Side

I'm sure this is not a new tip for most of you.

Perhaps it'll just serve as a reminder.

Or perhaps you already know and do this and you can just ignore me entirely.

When ordering a salad (or making one at home) be sure to get your dressing on the side.

Whenever I pour my dressing right on the salad, 2 TBSP seems like an awfully small amount.  Part of that may be because it's always crazy uneven.  Some lettuce pieces will be drenched while others have none.

(Boo and hiss to crazy uneven dressing!)

I now put my dressing on the side and, before every bite, I dip my fork into the dressing. 

Ta-da!

Each and every bite now has the added flavor.  And the super bonus is that I don't use near as much!  At first I poured myself the standard 2 TBSP serving size, but it was far too much.  When I put it on the side, I'm hard pressed to even use up 1 full TBSP.

Now that's a calorie saver!

How about you?  Have you tried this?  Have you always done it?  Or are you a fan of crazy uneven dressing?

Tuesday Tip: Don't Use A Straw

Quite some time ago I posted a Tuesday Tip about using a straw.

When drinking of water, a straw will help you easily gulp down larger amounts.  It's so much easier to just sit and sip.  It's almost a mindless task.

So today's tip?

Don't use a straw.

That's right.

The exact opposite.

I'm fickle like that. 

But seriously, DON'T use a straw when you find yourself drinking beverages that are full of calories.

The same mindless consumption can occur.  Of course, that's great with water, but not-so-much great with empty calories.

Lately we have started having "Soda Saturdays" in our house.  We try to avoid pop every other day of the week and on Saturday we will each treat ourselves to one (appropriate-sized) soda.

I'm a Coke gal.  It's my thing.

I love it.  I crave it.  I want it.

But I have found that if I get my soda in a cup with a straw, within minutes the soda is gone and I don't feel like I've even really tasted what I have waited all week for.

Bummer!

So I have started removing my lid and straw. 

I savor that drink.

I guess you could say that I take the time to "drink it all in."  Har har.

I drink slow sips and I am mindful of each taste as it touches my mouth.

It may seem cheesy, but when I am done, I feel much more satisfied with the empty calories I just consumed.  At least I noticed their consumption!

And I loved every second of it.

It's almost enough to get me by until the next Soda Saturday.

Almost...

Tuesday Tip - Involve your family

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is hard to do all by myself.

I need a support system in place.

For me, a lot of my support system are The Spankstas.

(Yeah, ladies!)

But there's no reason why my family can't be involved too.

In fact, involving them can only bring about good.


My husband can benefit from healthier eating and I definitely want my kids to learn to love healthy foods.  I don't want to look back later and feel that I have failed them somehow by feeding them junk.

That's a powerful motivator for me.

But it is more than just about food.  It's also about instilling a more active lifestyle.  Walking, biking, playing, dancing, running, jumping.  I want them to be active!

This last week I found a post on Pinterest about Yoga Poses to do with your kids.  I loved the idea and so I started a new routine before bed.  I started out with just my Little Man (after Lil' Miss went down for the night) and we went through all of the poses listed.

He LOVED it.  He enjoyed the names of the poses.  He would giggle over being a frog or a sandwich.  He especially enjoyed tipping over and falling out of the poses (which we both did).  When we had gone through all the poses once, he even yelled out "Let's do it again!"  For him, it was a game.  A fun game of balancing, mimicking objects, falling over, and giggling.

Eventually I moved on to more complicated poses, while he made up some of his own.

It was a great little wind down for bed time.  But even more, I loved that I was doing something active and fun that helped me connect with my Little Man.

Try to make it a goal to include those whom you care about.  What are you doing today to make them a part of your healthier lifestyle?

Tuesday Tip: Monitor Your Happiness

I have recently been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

(It's been fabulous so far!  I highly recommend it.)

Gretchen mentioned something that really struck a cord with me.

Happiness Myth No. 5: A "treat" Will Cheer You Up.

Oh. my. goodness.

As I thought on it, I realized how true this was for me.

When I think of something tasty to eat (typically sweet...and chocolate) my mouth starts to water.  I think of how wonderful that food is and how happy it'll make me feel just eating it. 

And so I treat myself.

At the first few bites, I do get an initial rush of happiness.

But then something funny happens.

It quickly diminishes.

By the time my treat has ended, I've already decided that I want more;  I want to try and extend that happiness.


I'll take more.

And sometimes more.

But as soon as I am done, my happiness rush is over and is replaced by guilt.  And shame.  (And sometimes a stomach ache.)

The happiness is fleeting.  It lasts but a moment and my "treat" is so short lived that within an hour I find myself looking for the next treat to give me another boost.

It DOESN'T truly make me happy.

I've gone back to something that I've done before (and what I realize really works for me).  Instead of handling treats as the urge strikes, I portion out one treat for the end of each day.

As other temptations come along, I find that I can resist them more knowing that I have my special treat waiting for me.

In the evening, I'll put the kids down to bed and I'll sit with my treat.  I try to have less distractions so that I can savor and taste each bite.

Not only do I truly enjoy my treat, but I am happy all day just thinking about it and knowing that I've remained in control and not over-indulgent.

Happy.

Tuesday Tip: Buy Smaller Plates

This week I went out a bought some new plates.

Not a lot, just a few.

Four, to be exact.

I didn't really NEED plates because I have plates in my house.

(They're not particularly fancy, but they get the job done.)

But I was tired of looking at my plate and seeing something like this:

Check out this woefully sad amount of food.

At least, that's what it looks like.

All that space alone is enough to make me feel hungry.

And so I went and bought new plates.

Four plates.

Salad plates.

Just for me.

So that now my meals look like this:

Ahhh, much better.

Same exact amount of food.

But somehow, I feel more full knowing I ate a plate's worth of food.

Isn't it great that I can just trick my mind like that?

It's like an optical illusion...only completely different.

Plus, I'm in love with my brand spankin' new plates.

The color makes me happy and I just can't wait to fill those plates with healthful*, well-balanced food.

(*Did you know that in English things are healthful and people are healthy? Who knew?)

Tuesday Tip - 50/10s

While reading through the many blogs that I follow daily, I came across this little gem.

50/10s by Moms With Cameras.

She was talking about how she finds herself most productive if she splits her work time into 50/10s per hour. In other words, she'll work for 50 minutes and then do 10 minutes of cleaning or playtime with her kids. Giving herself a bit of a break and refreshing her view.

Brilliant!

I know she was talking about work. But I found myself thinking, "Self, what if I put this into effect regarding exercise?"

And so I put it to the test. 50 minutes of everyday life, then 10 minutes of exercise.

I set specific guidelines for my 10 minutes. Writing them out. Because if I write them out, then they are real rules and less un-bendable (at least in my mind).

Guidelines:
- I will set a timer (so that I don't declare myself "close enough")
- I must move constantly for the 10 minutes.
- At least 3 of my 10 minute increments must be cardio based
- Complete at least 6 50/10s per day.


So far it seems to be going well. Many times I just include the my kids and they think it's a fun game of Simon Says.

Plus, 10 minutes of constant moving is a long time (especially for the cardio). I am always sweating and out of breath by the end of my 10 minutes.

Here's a quick list of exercises I've tried so far:

• dancing
• running in place
• mountain climbers
• burpees
• frog leaps
• high knees
• boxing punches (no...I would never let you watch me do these...)
• kicks
• walking lunges
• crunches
• push ups
• planks
• jumping jacks
• weight lifting
• squats
• reverse sit-ups

If you think of any great ones, add them in the comments. I could totally use a few new ideas.

Plus, I found this on Pinterest and thought I'd share. (No direct link, so I'm not sure where it came from.)

I should totally hang this on my fridge...